Woosnam caddie sacked after all

Ian Woosnam has sacked caddie Miles Byrne after he was late for the final round of the Volvo Scandinavian Masters today.

Byrne was blamed in the Open championship for Woosnam having too many clubs in his bag. The error cost the Welshman a two-shot penalty and outright second place at Royal Lytham.

The pair were together for the first three rounds in Malmo, but there was no sign of Byrne when Woosnam teed off this morning.

"You know what the circumstances are going to be this time," said Woosnam after carding a final round 69 to finish the tournament on two-under-par.

"I don't know where he is. I gave him a chance, I don't ask for much. He had one warning, that was it."

Byrne did eventually turn up and was swiftly given the sack by Woosnam before the former US Masters champion left the course.

Woosnam had to break into his own locker for his golf shoes as Byrne had the key. He used the local caddy-master, Tommy Strand, as a stand-in caddy.

Strand admitted he was exhausted after being pressed into service at three minutes' notice when he was about to have his breakfast, but did count the clubs in Woosnam's bag on the first tee.

"I had no time for breakfast and only had a drink of water on the fourth tee. But I did count the clubs and Ian smiled. I saw what happened at the Open on television."

After the dramatic scenes at Royal Lytham and the adverse publicity it generated, Byrne was offered opportunities to fly to the US to appear on two top talk shows.

Initially he turned them down but now he may re-consider.